Tag: Unalaska

tell your story. pass it on.

Kristine setting up for the StoryCorps Kick-off.
Kristine setting up for the StoryCorps Kick-off.

Since 2003, more than 35,000 everday people have shared life stories with family and friends in StoryCorps booths across the nation.  With a generous donation from an anonymous source, the Alaska Initiative has  made it possible for you to participate in one of the largest oral history projects undertaken.  The generous donor chose Unalaska, Dillingham, Nome, and Barrow to host facilitators.  Fairbanks and Juneau will also be documented by the facilitators from the 4 towns.

Meet your Unalaska facilitators.

Kristine King and Sharon Svarny-Livingston.
Kristine King and Sharon Svarny-Livingston.

This is a throwdown to all Unalaska bloggers and blog followers to pick up that phone and call Kristine at 359-8016 to schedule an appointment for your story.  The Real Unalaska has already conversed with her sister.  And word on the street is that she is bringing her cousin in on Saturday!

What happens at StoryCorps,  you ask?  alena-paperworklaresa-paperworkYou come in with a friend or family member.  You fill out paperwork so that we can create a great database for your story.  You have a 40 minute conversation with your partner about whatever you want to talk about.  We record.

Sharon checks the mics before recording Sam & Caleb.
Sharon checks the mics before recording Sam & Caleb.

We ask you to sign a release so your story can be archived at the Library of Congress, the University of Alaska, and also locally, both at KUCB, and either the Library or the Museum;  the release also allows NPR, APRN, and KUCB to edit the recordings for short stories to air.  We take your picture to archive with the CD.  We present you with a professional recording of your story.  It takes about an hour.zoya-and-sharon

Alena and Laresa talked about their art and growing up in Unalaska.  Sam talked to his son-in-law, Caleb, about being a veteran of 3 wars.  And although Zoya was totally tricked into coming in for a conversation with me, she had a great time and is very glad to have participated because she has something tangible to give to her children that tells them, perhaps, some things about her that they haven’t talked about.

tell your story.  pass it on.  it’s free!

Unangan traditions revisited.

Gert Svarny teaches Unangan design.
Gert Svarny teaches Unangan design.

Consider giving your time to supplement programs at the local schools.  Gert Svarny, winner of the 2008 Alaska Governor’s Award for Native Art and an internationally known Unangan artist (and my mother) is currently working with the third graders at Unalaska’s Eagle’s View Elementary School.  She is teaching the students about traditional Unangan design.   Thanks to the Unalaska City School Board of Education and administration, and the Ounalashka Corporation for funding to provide this after-school program for the students. 

Gert  worked with the fourth graders last week and they created some beautiful paper full-crown hats. 

4th grade faux Bentwood hats waiting to go home.
4th grade faux Bentwood hats waiting to go home.

The third graders will be working on the same project.  The first and second graders, in the coming weeks, will be making rattles from clam shells utilizing traditional Unangan design components.

The students have been very diligent workers.
The students have been very diligent workers.

The design portion of the Unangan Program was preceeded by a segment taught by me on the medicinal and edible uses of plants by the Unangax in the Aleutian region.  We got to make fun concoctions with plants such as Wormwood Oil, Angelica Salve, Yarrow Lip Balm, Cranberry Sauce, and Bering and Pacific Bath Salts.

Olive oil being infused with the angelica plant.
Olive oil being infused with the angelica plant.

Future segments will include a study of birds in the Unalaska area with local expert Suzi Golodoff, and a class hosted by Laresa Syverson (my youngest daughter), the content of which I know not, but know absolutely that it will include a strong language component. 

Thanks go to Mary Downs, Program Coordinator, for her great coordinating skills,  and Ms. Pat Ellis, ESL teacher, for the awesome help she has been to the classes and for the use of the resource room. 

If you want to volunteer to help the teachers in this program, call Mary Downs or Heather Jones at 581-3979.